Locomotive power reverse gear



2 Sheets-Sheet E. DE H. CALDWELL LOCOMOTIYE POWER REVERSE GEAR Flled Jan 2'7. 1926 May 1, 1928. 1,668,304

, E. DE H. CALDWELL LOCOMOTIVE POWER REVERSE GEAR Filed Jan. 27. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 1, 1928.

[UNITED :sTArEs PATENT OFFICE.

"EDWIN DE vI-I. CALDWELL, OF FREDONIA; NEW YORKQAS SIGNOR'TO FRANKLIN RAIL- WAY SUI PL Y COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N.'Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

.LOCOMOTIVEWPOWER REVERSE GEAR.

.npplicatlon filed January 27, 1926. .Serial No. 84,074.

The invention relates to locomotive power reverse gears and has tor itsprinclpal object the provision of an improved type. of

such apparatus which can be locked inany desired position of adjustment.

:Itis also an object ofthe invention toprovide means for permitting themost minute adjustment with entire accuracy and freedom frointhe possibilityot subsequent displacement. I further provide an apparatus of the character described which oan be very materially reduced in overall length there by making it easier or application.

Ingeneral I aim to simplify as well as to improve and make more efiicient power reverse, gearso'l the character described.

In-connection with the lockingcfeature it is. an object of my invention to provide for wthe locking and the unlocking oithe gear simply by actuating the hand wheel or other device used to control it. t I furthermore provide a device which can bereadily operated entirely by hand should the fluid pres.

sure power fail for someireason orother.

The foregoing together with such other 1 objects as are incident to myinvention or may: appear herelnatter l attain by. means mot the rearportion of a locomotive-showing lot a construction which is illustrated inwpreferred -formin the accompanying draw ngs, wherein Fig; 1 is a diagrammaticsideelevation my improved powerv reverse gearapplied thereto; a

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation partly 3in= section illustratmgthe detailsot my 11nprove'd power reverse gear rand Fig. 3 is a longitudinalhorizontal section showing the principal parts of my improved The cylinders contain opposed pistons 3 subject at the outer endsto the fluid pressure within the cylinders 1.

Engaged or gripped between the adjacent ends of the cylinders?) is the locking memany movement can take place.

her 4 suitably recessed at its upper and lower ends 5. ,The recesses 5 engage suitable trackways 6 on the mner'facesofthe connecting guidewaysj 2.

Substantially, at its central portion the member 1 is provided with outwardly proecting arms 7, one on each sidefTwin reach rods 8 areiconnected at the ends of the arms 7. The outer ends of the reach rods are bent together and joined in any desirable manner at the point?) to the reach rod 10 which runs forward to the usual valve link ll. Valvev adjustments are made thru the medium otthe pistons 3 and the reach rods .its adjustment because the trictional grip of the pistons 3 upon the n'iember-a is suflicient to prevent said member from sliding across tically relieved .on one side or; the other tha The valve mechanism for oontrollingfthe admission and exhaustof; fluid pressure-to the outer ends of the pistons Sis well illustrated and described in copending application of, Montague 1-1.. Roberts, Serial No.

41597 assigned tothe same company to which the present application is assigned and since it forms no part of my presentinvention only a very brief analysis of it will I be appended.

A valve operating rod 12 underthe control of the hand wheel 13 in thecab is screw threaded into the left hand end of the left piston 3. Thru the medium of the collar 14 on the rod 12 the valve 15 is actuated in one direction or the other depending upon the direction of rotation of the hand wheel 13. Fluid pressure, preferably air. is admittedto the valve chest 16 thru the inlet 17 and when the valve moves to the left this pressure is admitted to the left piston 3 thru the port the pistons either in one direction ,orthe other. It is only when the pressure is prac- 18 and passageways 19 and 20. At the same time pressure is exhausted from the righthand piston 3 thru the pipe 21 and passage ways 22 and 23. I

After an adjustment takes place if the hand wheel is no lon er rotated the pistons 8, thru the medium or the stem 12, move the valve 15 back to its neutral position which holds the air on both ends of the pistons 3, thereby locking the device in the manner already described. When traveling in the other direction exactly the reverse operations take place.

It will be noticed that the inlet passages 18 and 22 each have a slight negative lap so that in a neutral position of the valve 15 there will always be pressure at the ends of the pistons 3.

It will be seen that the device is exceedingly simple and the locking feature is highly eflicient enabling the most minute valve adjustments to be accurately maintained at all times which, as is well known in this art, is an extremely important matter from the standpoint of safety in engine operation. In former reverse gears it has often been possible for sufiicicnt leakage to take place so that the engineer did not know exactly where his valves were and on not infrequent occasions they were thrown into the reverse direction from that in which the locomotive vas traveling with enormously damaging results to the cylinder and saddle structure of the locomotive.

It might be noted that my device is in the nature of an automatic friction lock.

I claim 1. Fluid pressure power means comprising in combination, a pair of opposed pistons reciprocable in thesame direction, a member between their opposed ends slidable transversely thereof, guide means for said member inclined with respect to the direction of piston reciprocation, and means for applying or relieving pressure to the opposite ends of said pistons.

2. In power reverse gear the combination of a pair of opposed pistons, reciprocable in the same direction, subject to pressure on the outer ends, a member between the adjacent ends movable across them, and

guide means for said member inclined with respect to the direction of piston travel.

3. A power reverse gear comprising in combination, a pair of opposed pistons, reciprocable in the same direction, subject to pressure on the outer ends, a member between the' adjacent ends movable across them, guide means for said member inclined with respect to the direction of piston travel, a reach rod connected to said member, and means for reducing the pressure on a piston end in order to cause movement toward said end, said member moving with the pistons to actuate the reach rod while simultaneously sliding across them under the influence of the inclined guides.

4. In a power reverse gear the combination of a pairot spaced coaxial cylinders, a member inclined with respect to the axis of said cylinders for connecting them together, a piston reciprocable in each cylinder, and a locking pin gripped between the adjacent ends or the pistons but movable transversely thereof under the influence of the inclined connecting member. s I

5. In a power reverse gear the combination of a pair of opposed pistons, reciprocable in the same direction, subject to substantially equal pressure on the outer ends, a member movable transversely of the pistons but normally gripped between their inner ends under the influence of the pressure, means engaging said member to prevent piston movement, and means for reducing the pressure on a piston to permit transverse movement of said member and longitudinal movement of the pistons.

6. In a power reverse gear the combination of a pair of opposed pistons, reciprocable in the same direction, subject to sub stantially equal pressure on the outer ends,

a member movable transversely of the pis tons but normally gripped between their innor ends under the influence of the pressure and means engaging said member to prevent piston I movement except upon unbalanced pressure conditions on the pistons.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name,

EDIVIN DE H. CALDl/VELL. 

